With the Swedish Air Force set to operate its latest Gripen E (pictured) up to at least 2042 and likely beyond, Sweden has time to develop its long-term future fighter aircraft plans. (Saab)
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has contracted Saab to conduct studies related to the development of future fighter aircraft technologies.
The aircraft manufacturer announced the SEK250 million (USD25. million) deal on 1 June, saying that the study will be “preparatory in nature, and its purpose is to widen the work on how future combat air capabilities can be developed and realised”
Sweden is partnered with the UK and Italy on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme, with the thenUK defence minister Stuart Andrew and Swedish efence inister Peter Hultqvist signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in July 2019 for both to work together in developing future combat aviation technologies.
In signing the original MOU in 2019, Hultqvist noted, “Sweden has a long tradition of developing cutting-edge fighters, but development is expensive and time consuming. It is in both our mutual interests to partner with an actor that is operationally and industrially skilled. This is a foundation for future steps on air combat co-operation we have a like-minded approach and a mutual understanding of what we want.”
As part of this MOU, Saab announced in July 2020 that it would establish a Swedish ‘centre-of-excellence' as part of a wider GBP50 million (USD6 million) investment in the partnership.
hough a part of the FCAS effort, Sweden's focus is on developing the technologies that can be used to upgrade its fleet of domestically developed and manufactured Saab Gripen fighters. As such, the country has not yet committed to join the Tempest future fighter project that is the core element of FCAS.
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